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20130302 - Auto port forward for your UPnP router (i00 Nat Forwarder)

I wrote this application as I thought there were several things lacking with router port forwards, such as the ability to map port forwards to computer names rather than IP addresses, thus limiting the computer to have a static IP. There are also other advantages such as portability, ease of use etc.

A summary of advantages are listed below:

Allows mapping to computer names as well as IP addresses.

Allows computers to have dynamic IP addresses and still have port forwarding (thus allowing easy connectivity to multiple "other" networks without having to change your IP or set it in your router).

Circumvents Netgear's restriction on not allowing port redirecting - Netgear routers do not allow you to forward a port on a different external port to the port that it is being hosted on through their interface.

Portability - Allows you to take your computer from one network to another, and coupled with a dyndns client have everything "just work" on your new network, imagine being able to move your web server from one network to another without having to change anything!

The only requirement for this app is a UPnP enabled router.

I have tested this on Server 2012, but it should work on anything Vista + ... and may work on previous OS' as well.

I have tested the software on the following brands of router: Netgear, Billion.
Let me know if it works on your brand too!

DonationsNone yet... be the first!

Donate Here - and be sure to put "i00 Nat Forwarder", your user name (or other alias), and if you want the amount disclosed in the description field

Screen Shots

Method
The UPnP access is done with the NATUPNPLib.dll that comes with Windows, this requires the SSDP Discovery Service to be enabled (NAT Forwarder will ask you to start it if it is not running when it starts).

NAT Forwarder can be installed as a service through the interface and automatically checks that ports are open at the interval specified in the settings page.

The main function of the project is, of course, to automate port forwards through UPnP routers. To do this "NATUPnP 1.0 Type Library" was used. To implement UPnP; first make sure that the "SSDP Discovery Service" is running, to do this click Start then Run, type services.msc and click OK.
Find the "SSDP Discovery Service" in the list and make sure its status is running, if it is stoped right click on it and select start; if it is disabled, right click on it, select properties set the startup type to automatic, click OK, then right click on the service and click start.

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